A system of modules which control and measure energy usage at a building that are in communication with a software program executing on a remote server controlled by a third party. The third party said usage via the software program that communicates with the modules to modify energy usage and demand for energy and is responsible or liable for energy usage charges the building where the third party does not actually use the energy.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of managing a third party's energy usage for a facility, a first party billing a third party for the third party's future energy usage and paying an energy bill to a second party for a current billing period corresponding to the third party's actual energy usage, the method executing on a computer having a storage and coupled to a network, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a first energy usage for the facility for a first period of time corresponding to the third party's past energy usage for the first period of time; obtaining a second energy usage for the facility for a second period of time corresponding to the third party's past energy usage for the second period of time; the computer calculating a baseline energy usage utilizing the first and second past energy usages; the computer applying a discount rate to the baseline energy usage to generate a discounted baseline energy usage, the discount rate is based on an expected reduced energy usage by the third party; the computer applying a per unit rate for a third period of time to the discounted baseline energy usage to generate an energy bill; transmitting the energy bill to the third party prior to all actual energy usage by the third party for the current billing period; the third party obligated to pay the energy bill to the first party and the energy bill issued to the third party prior to the second party issuing a current utility bill; wherein the first party pays the current utility bill issued by the second party, the current utility bill corresponding to actual energy usage for the facility by the third party during the current billing period, the current billing period different than the third period of time; measuring an actual energy usage in real time of a plurality of pieces of equipment at the facility with a plurality of sensors to generate measured energy usage; transmitting in real time the measured enemy usage to the computer via a network connection; comparing the actual enemy usage to the discounted baseline enemy usage; and adjusting the operation of at least one piece of equipment associated with one of the plurality of sensors when the monitored energy usage deviates a derived threshold value from the baseline energy usage.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are installed at the facility.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the measured energy usage is compared to the discounted baseline energy usage and if the measured energy usage deviates a threshold value from the baseline energy usage, an alert is generated.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the derived threshold value is based in part on data received from the second party.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the data received from the second party comprises peak demand data and the at least one of the plurality of pieces of equipment is cycled to minimize application of peak demand rates to the energy usage.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first period of time corresponds to a first monthly billing period for the second party in a first year; wherein the second period of time corresponds to a second monthly billing period for the second party in a second year; and wherein the first monthly billing period corresponds to the same calendar billing period as the second monthly billing period.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the third period of time corresponds a monthly billing period immediately preceding the current billing period.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the discount rate is in a range of between 5% to 10%.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the energy is electrical energy and a tariff corresponds to the KW/hr rate.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein if the current utility bill deviates from the calculated energy bill by more than a threshold value, the amount exceeding the threshold value is utilized in calculating an adjustment to the third party.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein when the adjustment comprises a refund, 50% of the amount exceeding the threshold value is refunded to the third party.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the current billing period corresponds to a normalized monthly billing period.
13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: obtaining a fourth energy usage for a fourth period of time corresponding to the third party's energy usage for the fourth period of time; and recalculating the baseline energy usage utilizing an energy usage for the fourth period of time.
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third periods of time are selected from the group consisting of: monthly time periods, quarterly time periods, half year time periods, one year time periods or normalized time periods.
15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the expected reduced energy usage is based on an expected energy usage for the plurality of equipment located at the facility, and wherein an actual energy usage for each of the plurality of equipment is compared to the expected energy usage for each of the plurality of equipment.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein when an actual energy usage of a particular piece of equipment exceeds the expected energy usage for that particular equipment, the functioning of that particular piece of equipment is modified.
17. A system for managing a third party's energy usage for a facility, a first party billing a third party for the third party's future energy usage and paying an energy bill to a second party for a current billing period corresponding to the third party's actual energy usage, the system comprising: a computer coupled to a network; an array of sensors measuring the actual energy usage of a plurality of pieces of equipment at a third party facility, wherein the measured energy usage is transmitted in real time to said computer via the network; software executing on said computer and obtaining a first energy usage for the facility for a first period of time corresponding to the third party's past energy usage for the first period of time and obtaining a second energy usage for the facility for a second period of time corresponding to the third party's past energy usage for the second period of time; software executing on said computer calculating a baseline energy usage utilizing the first and second past energy usages; software executing on said computer applying a discount rate to the baseline energy usage to generate a discounted baseline energy usage where the discount rate is based on an expected reduced energy usage by the third party; software executing on said computer applying a per unit rate for a third period of time to the discounted baseline energy usage to generate an energy bill; wherein the energy bill is transmitted to the third party prior to all actual energy usage by the third party for the current billing period; the third party obligated to pay the energy bill to the first party and the energy bill issued to the third party prior to the second party issuing a current utility bill; and wherein the first party pays the current utility bill issued by the second party, the current utility bill corresponding to actual energy usage for the facility by the third party during the current billing period and the current billing period different from the third period of time; software comparing the measured energy usage to the discounted baseline energy usage; controllers adjusting the operation of at least one piece of equipment associated with one of the plurality of sensors when the measured energy usage deviates a derived threshold value from the baseline energy usage.
18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the plurality of sensors are installed at the facility.
19. The system according to claim 18 , wherein software executing on said computer compares the measured energy usage to the discounted baseline energy usage and if the measured energy usage deviates the derived threshold value from the baseline energy usage, software executing on said computer generates an alert.
20. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the derived threshold value is based in part on data received from the second party.
21. The system according to claim 20 , wherein the data received from the second party comprises peak demand data and the least one of the plurality of pieces of equipment is cycled to minimize application of peak demand rates to the energy usage.
22. The system according to claim 21 , wherein the third period of time corresponds a monthly billing period immediately preceding the current billing period.
23. The system according to claim 22 , wherein the per unit rate is selected from the group of rates consisting of: a transmission rate, a generation rate, a special assessment or combinations thereof.
24. The system according to claim 20 , wherein the first period of time corresponds to a first monthly billing period for the second party in a first year; wherein the second period of time corresponds to a second monthly billing period for the second party in a second year; and wherein the first monthly billing period for the second party in the first year corresponds to the same calendar billing period as the second monthly billing period for the second party in the second year.
25. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the first period of time is different from the second period of time.
26. The system according to claim 17 , wherein if the current utility bill deviates from the calculated energy bill by more than a threshold value, software executing on said computer calculates a refund to the third party based on the amount exceeding the threshold value.
27. The system according to claim 17 , further comprising: software executing on said computer for calculating a current tariff rate related to an actual tariff rate received in connection with third period of time, said software using the current tariff rate for generating the calculated energy bill.
28. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the first, second and third periods of time are selected from the group consisting of: monthly time periods, quarterly time periods, half year time periods, one year time periods or normalized time periods.
29. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the expected reduced energy usage is based on an expected energy usage for the plurality of equipment located at the facility, and wherein an actual energy usage for each of the plurality of equipment is compared to the expected energy usage for each of the plurality of equipment.
30. The system according to claim 29 , wherein when an actual energy usage of a particular piece of equipment exceeds the expected energy usage for that particular equipment, the functioning of that particular piece of equipment is modified.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 31, 2018
October 20, 2020
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